Theodore Roosevelt extolled the American West throughout his life, influenced by his adventures with the people of the West, from Dakota Territory’s Little Missouri River all the way to the Pacific Ocean. He was never shy talking about the ethical standards he adhered to and strove to uphold in his personal, public and private life. He called out with pride the people he met in the West as being “average citizens of the right type.”

In 1886, Christian Maiers, his wife, the first of their 11 children, along with his parents and a brother, moved from Russia to Dakota Territory. Christian had only $20 left when the whole family moved into a 12x18 foot sod house. To earn extra money, he and other settlers gathered old buffalo bones to sell to fertilizer companies.

The North Dakota Agricultural College was born in March 1890 when the governor approved a bill calling for its establishment. The land grant college opened its doors in January of 1892 with a president, three faculty members, and 123 students. Classes were held in six rooms rented from Fargo College. The first agricultural experiment station had been established two years earlier, and it was now incorporated into the program at NDAC.

On this date in 1913, hundreds of thousands of tons of North Dakota coal was being eaten up by fires in undeveloped mines. Coal is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when people think of North Dakota. But in 1913, a geologist estimated that the state had 32,000 square miles of coal fields containing 500 billion tons of coal. The coal fires had the state legislature alarmed at what they called the “wanton destruction” of a valuable state resource.

Cattle rustlers weren’t the only thieves who plagued North Dakota farmers and ranchers. On this date in 1914, the Devils Lake Weekly World announced that two members of a grain rustling gang had been arrested. The gang operated near Minot. The men were indicted for grand theft larceny and were being held for trial. Sheriff Kelly expected that the men would name the other members of the gang. One of the men had served time for stealing flax and had been released on parole only a few days prior to

Cornelius Hagerman Forman was not a young man when he gathered a group of friends and family from Michigan, along with a load of lumber, and struck out to establish a town in eastern Dakota Territory. Colonel Forman was fifty-five and had already started another town named for him in Michigan. But Forman, North Dakota was to be an even greater chapter.

This week in March of 1903, President Roosevelt created America’s first federal bird refuge. Pelican Island, Florida had long been a favorite haven for beautiful shore and wading birds where mangroves hugged the waters of the small island. Pelicans, peafowls, flamingos and spoonbills adorned the beach.

Bottineau, North Dakota is not necessarily a place people associate with psychedelic rock music. However, on this date in 1947, in Bottineau, North Dakota, Tom Rapp was born -- the singer and songwriter of Pearls Before Swine.

What began as a desperate late night ride to warn of an attack ended poorly for a young military man in Dakota Territory. Sam Brown lost the use of his legs after a fifteen-hour, 150 mile ride one wintry night in 1866 near present day Sisseton, South Dakota. Legend calls him “Prairie Paul Revere.” He was born on this date in 1845 and raised on the Minnesota frontier. His father was a fur trader and scout, and a major under General Henry Hastings Sibley.

On this date in 1908, North Dakotan Louis Benjamin Hanna announced his candidacy Congress. The Golden Valley Chronicle was one of many newspapers that ran a detailed statement of Hanna’s platform. He said it was time to remove tariffs where the “only effect is to impose unnecessary burdens on the public.” He specifically mentioned the tariff on lumber. He said it was important for the President to appoint a tariff commission. This nonpartisan committee would study all facets of tariffs and make